Mobile phone theft will be tackled by the government, with a bill making it illegal to re-programme handsets.

A current trend is for criminals to change the international mobile equipment identification number of stolen phones, to prevent it being identified by manufacturers. The Mobile Phone (Re-programming) Bill would mean that such practice would carry a prison sentence of up to five years.The move follows the release of Home Office figures which revealed that a quarter of all robberies involved mobile phones. It also follows a series of measures announced by the government to reduce the level of street crime, a central issue in the local election campaign.

"The Bill being published today builds on the concerted action being taken across government to tackle street crime," said home office minister John Denham. "It makes re-programming stolen phones a crime in its own right and backs up police efforts to tackle handling of stolen goods.

"There is no legitimate reason to re-programme a mobile phone. Those doing so run the risk of heavy penalties - penalties they deserve because they are fuelling violent street crime."

Association of Chief Police Officers representative and Deputy Territorial Policing, London, DAC Tim Godwin said: "Mobile phones are property that account for 50 per cent of street robberies in London. This is because they are quickly turned into cash by thieves. This measure will reduce their value to a thief and therefore we strongly support and welcome it."

By September, all major networks will use these identification numbers to bar the use of stolen phones, following pressure from Westminster. However, in response, the industry called on the government to make a similar gesture, and so welcomed the new bill, which will be introduced today in the House of Lords.

"We see this as another piece of the crime prevention jigsaw and fully support this type of initiative," Jack Wraith, executive secretary of the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum, told The Times.

House of Lords

First reading: May 2 2002 (HL Bill 80)

Second reading: May 16 2002

Committee: June 20 2002

Report: July 3 2002

Third reading: July 11 2002

House of Commons

First reading: July 11 2002 HC Bill 177

Second reading: July 22 2002

Committee and remaining stages: July 24 2002

Royal Assent: July 24 2002